


Endearing Little Brother and An Awesome Boyfriend

by Astoria Gracewell (arh581958)



Series: #MalecWeek [1]
Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec being an awesome brother, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluffiness, I love Max Lightwood, M/M, Magnus being an ever awesomer boyfriend, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, cuteness, day 1 - family day, malecweek, our boys deserve to be happy, post-Season 1, very little angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-08-10 18:03:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7855429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arh581958/pseuds/Astoria%20Gracewell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day of Magnus' first date with Alec after the whole wedding fiasco arrives with a small surprise. </p><p>(Or: how the Magnus&Max brotherhood started without Alec ever knowing. #myheadcanon)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Endearing Little Brother and An Awesome Boyfriend

**Author's Note:**

> Written for **MalecWeek2016 Day 1** \- _Family Day_
> 
> I had originally planned to participate in MalecWeek since its announcement _months_ ago, but my thesis got in the way and I couldn't open my AO3 account for a whole week. So, as an apology to all of you, I am posting seven stories today for MalecWeek, as a late entry. I hope you still enjoy it even it it's a week late! 
> 
>  
> 
> **Not Beta Read. Beta Open for Volunteers.**

It was D-day, date day, the day of their long-awaited ‘drinks’. Magnus padded back and forth his apartment with nervous energy buzzing through his veins. Of all the times that Alec had been here, this was the first time since the failed wedding. He had changed his outfit no less than ten times, wanting to impress without looking like he tried too hard.

The buzzer finally rang at a quarter past one.

Magnus barely held himself together when he went to answer the door. Chairman Meow curled his fluffy little tail around his ankle, bell jiggling as he moved. It was a testament to his tenseness that he didn’t hear the Chairman’s bell at all. He picked the small tabby by the scruff and cradled it in his arm.

The door swung open. His eyes met the most beautiful pair of blue orbs that he’s ever seen in his life, making his breath hitch and the words get stuck in his throat.

“Hi,” Alec greeted with a big wide smile, “I, uhm, I hope you don’t mind that, uh, Izzy volunteered to patrol with Jace but… but, uh…” his eyes flickered down, “…Max’s tutor got sick and he sent Max back to the Institute for the weekend. It’s been so long since I got a day off too. So, I kinda brought him along…?”

Magnus was too preoccupied staring at that endearingly awkward lip-biting habit to listen properly. “Uh, sorry, huh, what?”

Alec cleared his throat. “Max,” he said, “I brought him with me because I didn’t want him in the Institute alone. I’m sorry, I… this is stupid. I should have just cancelled—but I didn’t want to—and now I’ve made a fool out of myself—and I was looking forward to this the whole month—and I—”

“Shhh.” Magnus hushed the blabbering Nephilim with a finger to the lips. He peered under Alec’s arm to see a tuff of golden brown hair hiding behind the tall Shadowhunter. One hopeful look from Alec and all the tension disappeared from Magnus’ chest.

“Well, I guess that means that romantic Ethiopian places are out of the question.” Alec’s face fell but Magnus continued with a playful smile. “So, I guess that means that parks are in.” He waited until Max peaked through Alec’s arm as well, and their eyes met. “Hello, Max, how do you feel about fishes? Have you ever been to the Aquarium?”

At that, Alec’s entire face lit up. “Max hasn’t been to one yet. I think. Unless they suddenly have those in Idris.” His shy smile made Magnus’ heart beat even faster when it was directed at the warlock at full-force. “ _I_ haven’t been to the Aquarium either since I was Max’s age.”

“Wonderful!” Magnus couldn’t hold his grin. With a flick of his hand, three tickets to the Aquarium appeared in his hand. “I just happen to have all-day passes for today.” He showed the multi-strip cardboard ticket to Alec. “Oh, look! There’s even a fish spa. That sounds really fun. Ready to dip your toes in a tank of fishes and have them munch on your dead skin cells?”

Alec turned green. “Wha-hut?”

“Oh, relax, Alexander, it won’t hurt. I promise. It actually kind of tickles a lot. Catarina loves getting her feet chomped on.” Magnus teased, squeezing past the small door way and onto the landing so he can finally see Max face-to-face. He grinned when recognition finally registered on the younger boy’s features.

“It’s you!” Max squealed in surprise.

Alec too was caught off-guard. His eyes darted from his brother to his boyfriend. “You two know each other?”

“Ah-huh.”

“H—how?” Alec sputtered.

“I did tell you that we will see each other soon, didn’t I? I promised that I wouldn’t lie.” Magnus crouched down in front of Max, and winked. When he looked up, he had a cheeky expression on his face. “At your wedding of course!”

 

_BEFORE_

There was at the bottom of the steps on the second floor landing. Unlike the rest of the Nephilim inside the Institute, he was dressed in a pair of cotton blue pajamas with caricatures of small stars, hugging his knees to his chest. He didn’t pay Magnus any heed, clearly waiting for someone in particular.

“Oh, hello,” Magnus approached the child tentatively. After all, the boy was the first runeless Nephilim he’d come across inside the entire place tonight. He hoped that even the boy’s biases were as clear as his mark-less skin. “I believe we haven’t met. I haven’t seen you around. What’s your name?”

The boy looked up, eyes widening in surprise at his flamboyant attire. “Alec said not to talk to strangers. So, I’m not talking to you.”

“But of course,” Magnus couldn’t believe that he didn’t piece it together earlier. There was an uncanny resemblance between this little boy and the Shadowhunter who stole his heart. Their faces were the same, but the hair color was lighter and a different shade of blue eyes. “You must be Max. I’m Magnus. A, uh… friend of Alec. He’s told me all about you.”

“Really? He talks about me?” Max’s eyes lit up in excitement.

Magnus smiled. “Of course he does. He says that you’re the brightest little brother in the world, if only you’d pay a closer attention to your runes.” He didn’t know what else to do until Alec came back from meeting with Robert and Maryse, so he decided to stall. “So, Max, what brings you here by your lonesome-self tonight? And why the long face?”

“It’s Alec’s wedding,” Max said mournfully, “And mom says I’m too young to go because it’s a grown-up thing. That’s why I’m waiting here for Alec. I need to congratulate him. Isn’t that what you do when your older brother gets married?”

A flash of hurt flickered through Magnus’ eyes but Max was too far to see it. “I wouldn’t know,” he answered as he cleared his throat, “I’m a, uh, an only child. I don’t really know what to do ‘cause I don’t have any siblings.”

Max’s face fell. “Oh.”

“Did you, uhm, _like_ your brother’s bride? Lydia?”

Max slumped his shoulders more, then shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I never met her. They didn’t even tell me that Alec was going to get married when I came home. They never tell me anything ‘cause I’m too small and too young. I never know anything…”

Magnus crouches down and pats the boy on the head. “Well, you’re just in luck, Max. Alec didn’t get married tonight.”

“He… he didn’t?” Max looked at him doubtfully.

Magnus shook his head. “Naah, I think your big bro realized that he was in over his head and committing himself to something he wasn’t ready for. Alec didn’t get married to night. He called of the wedding. That’s why I’m here, actually, because there’s something that Alec and I need to talk about. Do you want me to bring you back to your room so you can go to bed? You can Alec about it tomorrow.”

This time, it was Max’s turn to shake his head. “No, it’s alright. It must be important if Alec wanted to talk to you right now. He’ll probably just make me got to my room again. I don’t like it when he’s mad at me.” He patted his pajama bottoms and went back up the stairs. “See you, Magnus.”

“You too, little guy!” Magnus called back, with a small grin.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really, really sorry for the late entry! *bows* But I finish it all now, see? 
> 
> If you have a prompt or an idea, you can [INSPIRE ME](http://arh581958.tumblr.com/submit) on tumblr. Or [TALK TO ME](http://arh581958.tumblr.com/ask)~
> 
> As always, **kudos/comments/bookmarks** are all appreciated by this author. I take comments as extra-kudos and I _do_ read the bookmark tags (some are really fun).

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Punch People, and Deal with the Consequence (aka "We're Lightwoods.")](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7855882) by [Astoria Gracewell (arh581958)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arh581958/pseuds/Astoria%20Gracewell)




End file.
